For a DD, the following just off the top of my head without thinking about it much:

New AMG S 63

New AMG GT

New SL63

New G63

Bentley GT - CPO

Ferrari California - CPO

What's with all the Mercedes non-sense. Total old man's mobile and I am getting close at 51 . . .

I can pretty much drive and spend as much time as I want in a Bentley GT and a better Ferrari, but I would throw a Rapide, Maserati GT convertible and DEFINITEL the new Aston Martin Vantage.

I really like my DB11 and have been toying the idea of picking up a Rapide The new Vantage, however, is amazing and a Porsche killer in my opinion. I am a Ferrari guy and Porsche guy through and through, but the Aston Martins are a step up if looking for a DD and a bit of exclusivity. The engines and interiors are amazing.

If Porsche used that as their official explanation for doing this, that would be hilarious. and sad.

Porsche has done this for years. My favorite-this is from memory reading one of the Porsche books so I may get some of this wrong- is that the first gear in the 959 is labeled "G" which is the first letter for the german word offroad (G-wagon for Merc) . They did this because 6 speed cars were much more expensive to insure in Germany so they made it so 1st gear didnt count. for testing they proved you could launch the car in '1st' on the street which was mechanically 2nd out of 6 gears but allowed them to position the 959 as a 5 speed

revisionist history says this was because they intended to race the 959 in the several rally series at the time but the book noted that Porsche later admitted the real thinking as above.

The 918 is a hybrid. As a result, the shifter is non-functional much of the time, so it made sense to downsize it and move it out of the way.

The 911 is not a hybrid. As a result, the transmission is a key part of the driver's interaction with the car, whether it's a PDK or a a traditional manual. Your opinion regarding whether the PDK shifter should be used to change gears in manual mode is noted but not universally shared. This, despite your user name.

The 911 might or might not be a hybrid in the future. We pay Porsche for the car that is in our garage today, not for a car that they haven't even built. In general, this car makes an awful lot of compromises to accommodate features that aren't even available yet. The deprecated PDK shifter is only one of those compromises.

The 992 will likely offer a hybrid. The reason for they used that 8 speed PDK in the car is because it has room for an electric motor already.

The 992 will likely offer a hybrid. The reason for they used that 8 speed PDK in the car is because it has room for an electric motor already.

Sure, it's well understood that they are developing a hybrid 911, even though a model has not been formally announced. They have been trying to make it work since the 991 generation.

But what good does that do me, as a 992.1 customer? Bigger car, more weight, a useless 8th gear, possibly worse rear visibility as well depending on how much additional vertical space had to be reserved for package protection. And a largely-nonfunctional nubbin instead of a shifter. No upside.

Really? Ever since when? Arguably 991, however, how about older gens? I guess it depends on where in the lineup you started driving one

I was definitely talking about the 991, and not in a negative way. My first 911 was a brand new Guards Red 1987 Targa. We paid $47,000 for it. We had a 1985 1/2 944 but always wanted a 911. I ordered the 911 without telling my wife, and when it arrived I told my wife we should take a ride to the Porsche dealership just to see what they had. There it was, sitting in the showroom with a big red bow on it. My wife said "That's a beautiful car. I wonder who it was gift wrapped for." I said, "It's yours." Very happy wife, very happy life. The car became her daily driver and my weekend car. She'd strap the car seat into the passenger side and drive around with our newborn daughter. Would I trade my 991 for that car as a daily driver? No way! Did I love that car in its day? Absolutely!

The Astons make sense, but still an older demographic...... maybe a C63 AMG or Audi R8 or S8 for DD as the 991 and 992 non GT cars are just that...

Maseratis sound great but the depreciation is a monster on those ca worse than AMG....

i guess the GT Porsches are the best against depreciation but DD them is a challenge for some of us...

Let me preface the below by saying I have a 991.2 Turbo Cab, especially when saying the new Vantage is a better car than the 911.

DB11s are definitely 40ish crowd . . . My wife is finance manager at Aston Martin, Rolls Royce, Bentley, Maserati . . . dealership. Most that purchase DB11s from her are around my age including bud Dave Mustaine who purchased the one I wanted.

I think the Vanquishes tend to be driven by 50 somethings due to the price of entry and most 30 somethings would rather have an Aventador, 488, McLaren and etc. for the price.

Seriously, the new Vantage is a Porsche killer and I am a Porsche guy through and through. Aston Martin engines are made by Mercedes AMG, but Aston Martin puts their own specially tuned exhaust systems on them. Check out the new Vantage though. Much better than a 911 in looks, finishes and sound. Performance is respectable 3.4 to 60 and 11.4 1/4 according to C&D instrumented tested.

My DB11 is the 12, but the new ones with the 8s are a blast to drive. The 8 cylinder trimmed something like 200 pounds off the front. The engine tone, the leather work, the look and then crank up the Bang and Olufsen for a change of sound . . . The car is the complete package.

For me the new Vantage is bigger and uglier.... which sounds familiar...

It's also more a Turbo competitor. Aston Martin isn't offering anything in the more standard 911 model price range.

Lol, uglier is one word does not come to mind with any Aston Martin. You can get them in the $165k to $175k range if you option it smartly. Base models are better appointed than well optioned 911s. I think the weight is around 3,300 pounds, but come on . . . most on here purchasing these cars cannot even drive 7/10s so weight is really a non issue. Handling and feel is more predicated on a car is set up than a few hundred pounds. Heavier modern cars feel more racy and nimble than old air cooled 911s which I really don't even find that enjoyable anymore.